OSCE demands immediate release of mission members “condemned” by militants

OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid condemned the "sentence" of the Luhansk region's militants to mission members Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov and called for the immediate release of the detainees

The OSCE writes about this.

"Our colleagues remain OSCE staff members and had been performing official duties as mandated by all 57 participating States," Schmid said. "I call for their immediate and unconditional release, along with our other colleague who is also being detained," Schmid said.

"Our Mission members have been held unjustifiably for more than five months in unknown conditions for nothing but pure political theatre. It is inhumane and repugnant," said Rau.

The OSCE remains in close contact with stakeholders, including other international organizations, to facilitate the release of detained staff. The OSCE has taken and will continue to take steps to use all available channels to ensure the privileges and immunities of current and former OSCE staff.

The so-called "Supreme Court of the LNR" sentenced two employees of the OSCE mission to 13 years in prison. Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov were found "guilty" of treason.